After a while, riot police gathered in the crowd and fired tear gas. This caused the crowd to scatter in different directions. Lots of stores had their windows broken, including 50 windows smashed at a Eaton's store.[2]

The tear gas that was fired drifted into the open windows of residents living on the West End. St. Paul's Hospital responded by putting guards at the emergency room entrance to prevent tear gas victims from entering there. They claimed that there was nothing that could be done for them. After a while, bowls filled with water were put outside by security guards for the people that were suffering from tear gas.[3] The total damage to the downtown core was estimated at $1.1 million CAD.[4]